CONCORD, N.C. -- It was a full house in the E Ballroom at the Embassy Suites hotel Thursday morning, but then it usually is when Roush Fenway Racing is involved.

The largest team in Cup Series racing would like to keep it that way, and even had its top officials making overtures to that effect on one of the final stops of the annual Sprint media tour.

But there was still one stop left -- at NASCAR's Research and Development Center just down the road and around the corner. And it was there, shortly after Roush Fenway owner Jack Roush and Roush Fenway president Geoff Smith offered up wishes that they could remain five teams strong beyond this year, where top officials from the sport's governing body made it crystal clear that won't be permitted.

Roush has fielded five full-time Cup teams since 2003. He said his goal is to put all five of his current Ford teams -- the No. 99 of Carl Edwards, the No. 17 of Matt Kenseth, the No. 16 of Greg Biffle, the No. 6 of David Ragan and the No. 26 of Jamie McMurray -- in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship in 2009.

But even if he does, and even if the sagging U.S. economy takes a further toll on the rest of the Cup garage, Roush still will be required to slash one team from his roster by the beginning of the 2010 season. That rule was announced in 2005, when NASCAR gave Roush until 2010 to eliminate one team and thus adhere to the four-team limit to which the rest of the Cup organizations in the garage already are bound.

"We've been clear about that and these economic times don't change that," said NASCAR chairman and chief executive officer Brian France. "There will be a four-car limit, and there are clear lines as to how to be a supplier in this sport, to in theory help other teams get started and how to provide services or engineering or what have you. If there is any confusion with one group or another, we'll clear it up."

Mike Helton, president of NASCAR, was quick to add: "Brian is exactly right. We have not changed our mind on this. We believed it was the right thing to do when we announced it; we believe it's the right thing to do today."

Nonetheless, France and Helton might want to line up a conference call to reiterate their position with Roush and Smith.

About two hours before France made his comments and Helton forcefully seconded them, Smith was lobbying with reporters to keep all five Roush Fenway teams intact even beyond 2009. Smith wondered aloud if NASCAR really would enforce the rule if it could result in turning away a paying sponsor in these difficult economic times. (Continued)